Planing slabs

[D6c]

Just thinking about how I might flatten some of my slabs once they've air dried. I've seen videos of home build router tables to surface slabs that seem to work ok. 
Then it occurred me I have a router table of sorts in my LT40.
Has anyone ever mounted router or some other type of powered milling spindle on a woodmizer to surface slabs?  It would require some sort of slide to move the cutter from side to side but you already have to the carriage for lengthwise and vertical travel.  Have to think on it....

[mike_belben]

Bolt an old push mower chassis to your mill head, weld a basic carbide lathe insert holder onto the end of the blade, walla.  

I used to run a big $ rottler F80 surfacing machine and thats all it really was.  A glorified lawn mower spindle on a carriage with a tiny round CBN insert at the end of the blade.  The spindle was not perfectly perpendicular to the work, it had a bit of a forward cant during surface mode so that only the leading cutter took metal off.  The trailing one would be a few thousandths over the surface.  Like a helicopter going forward.

[Doug Wis]

 I made a couple of trestle tables out of white pine slabs. I cut them oversize and after drying for about 2 yrs I put them back on the mill and cut them flat and to size. The went over them with belt sander and finished them with that  2 part poly resin stuff. Can't think of the right name for the stuff. Turned out real well.

[WDH]

Put the slabs back on the mill and use shims to keep them from rocking.  Take a very light skim cut on the top of the slab.  Now you have one flat surface.  Put this surface down on the planer bed and you will get a flat slab.  I can plane slabs up to 20" wide in my planer.  I really don't want to handle anything bigger anyway.  If they are too wide for the planer, you can always rip them into two pieces and flatten each half.  Veteran wood workers are used to gluing wood, so you (or they) can always glue the slab back together once flattened.  Novice wood workers don't seem to understand this. 

[YellowHammer]

Flattening slabs in a pain in the rear, and one of the best ways to flatten slabs is while drying.  Use stiff stickers, stack the slabs counter cup to each other, then put as much weight as you can on them, a couple tons is a good start. A few may have to be flattened later, but the majority will be pretty flat.  Of course, sawing technique also plays a signicant role in how much a slab wants to move.  

[shenandoahsawmill]

I use a CNC to surface slabs then a 20" dia. floor buffer to sand them. My CNC can surface up to 39" wide slabs x 12' long. Any wider than this, I go with the redneck planer technique. I drag the slabs down a paved road for 1/4 mile then sand them with the floor buffer. You will be surprised at how well this works. You can do any width slab with this method. You can even start on a rough (40 grit) road and progress to a smooth (150 grit) road. 

[mike_belben]

Can your friends slab surf to speed the process or is that bad etiquette?  Hold my beer? 

:D

[shenandoahsawmill]

If your mill not cutting accuratly (thick to thin slabs), you can have your friends stand on the thick part while they are surfing. Be sure to pick straight roads or your buddies end up in the weeds.

[YellowHammer]

I see the need for speed. :D
And a video.

I bet there's some alcohol and blood involved. Sounds like fun.  

[OffGrid973]

Go to HF and grab an electric hand planer...then google the X method for getting slabs somewhat level...this works perfect for the budget project.  

6min in gives and idea of approach, just do this over the entire surface.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c_R8mD5IKII

Of course if you can keep the slabs from moving get the flattest surface possible on your mill before anything else.